Improved animal-trap



@anni dimite JOHN BLUME, or MoUNfr PLEASANT, MARYLAND.

Letters licieitt-lic. 97,7 55, dated .December 14,1869.

IMPROVE!) ANIMAL-TRAP.

The 'Schedule fefen'ed vto in these Letters Patent and making part of the same -www To all whom tt may concern,-A Be it known that I, JOHN BLUME, of Mount Pleasant, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and -nsefgl Improvement in Animal-Traps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a`full,c1ear, and exact description of the same,^referencebeing had to the acc ompanying diawings,`and letters of reference marked thereon,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudiualvertical section, and Figure 2, is a plan view. l This invention relates to a 'ringarmed with downwardly-projecting teeth, and provided with straight and curved cross-bars, through the centre of which a vertical rod passes, the latter being furnished with a coiled spring that presses downward on the cross-bars of `the toothed ring, and with a trigger that keeps the toothed lring suspended at a suitable distance above p l the base-piece, the coiled spring v being at the same tiniecompressed, siich trigger bei ng so connected with the bait-holdingapparatus as, when the animal pulls the bait, -to be easily withdrawn from under the crossbars of the toothed ring,` and thus set the latter free to :be diiven down upon the animalv by the compressedcoil-spring.

To enable those skilled in vthe art to make and use my invention, I now proceed 4to describe its construction and operation. 4 l

' Similar letters in the drawings refer to like parts.

A is the atbase, of wood or metal, or both combined. o

. A is a stiff vertical rod, 'rmlystepped in the base.

Iarallel with said rod, and at opposite sides thereof, are'two other rods, a a, whose use is` to prevent the movable -poltion ofthe trap from turning on the vertical axis. f

Such movable portion consists of a ring, B, having rows of f teeth l) soldered or riveted to its' lower edge. The ring may be made of sheet-metal, notched in the edge, so" as to "form teeth;` or with two thicknesses, having corrugations for receiving theA teeth; or of wood, with teeth inserted.

" l Diametrical cross-bars extend at right angles across the ring, and similar curvedl bars b" furnish guides for its motion.

'A" coiled spring, c, is placed around the central rod` between the head of the same and curved bars.

A cylinder, d, is loosely placed upon lthe central rod, and rests upon the base.

The cylinder is provided with a number of radial the tops `of the arms, d', for holding the bait, which may be approached and turned-by the animal from any direction.

Thesuspension of the toothed ring is effected -by a trigger, e, hung by a wire, e', from the head of the rod af, the upper or broad end of the trigger being placed yunder the curved cross-bars when the latter are suliciently elevated, and being held there by the bearing of itslower or pointed end against the upper` part of a vertical rod, 7i., loosely stepped in the base-board, and connected by a horizontal arm, h', with one of the baitholdingngers.

The slightest movement of the latter by theanimal causes the rod h to be disconnected from the trigger,

vwhereupon the latter releases the toothed ring, which .is instantly forced, by the coiled spring, down upon the animal.

VThis contrivance is equally well adapted for a water or land-trap, and will catch iish, as well as any animal, from a mouse to a tiger, according to its size.

'When used under water, care should be taken that l it present no broad surfaces, whose movement the water would resist.

What I claim as new, and desire 'to secure by Let- The toothed ring B, provided with the cross-bars b b", and combined with the vertical posts A' a a, spring c, trigger' c, bait-holding apparatus d d', and connecting-rod h, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

JO HN- BLUME.

Witnesses:

ADAM BOYER, J oEL HAM.. 

